Stressed out Brits seek holiday adventure

Stressed-out Britons are looking for adrenalin, action and adventure on holiday rather than sun, sand and sea.

Many trippers are now taking a walk on the wild side, with those over 35 being the most adventurous in holiday style and destination.

About 20% of those aged 45-54 said having a stressful job prompted them to take time out to travel, according to a survey commissioned by the organisers of the Adventure Travel and Sports Show which takes place in London next month.

As many as 49% of these 45-54 year olds are more adventurous in their choice of holiday compared with 10 years ago.

High-profile adventurers like Sir Richard Branson and Michael Palin - who recently trekked the Himalayas on TV - are also prompting more people to venture further afield.

The survey found that bookings of adventure holidays were being driven by people's increasingly long hours at work. Two in three people felt they spent a disproportionate amount of their life at work - a strong reflection of the fact that Britons work the longest hours in Europe.

This was most apparent in the north west of England (73%) compared with Wales and the west of England with 59%.

Nearly 25% of British holidaymakers said they were keen to discover a new destination - whether that was visiting the Slovenian Alps or escaping to Borneo.

Overall, the driving factor for nearly a third of all Britons when it came to taking time out to travel was trying something new for the first time.

Shane Parlato, marketing manager of tour operator Flight Centre, said: 'People are getting ever more adventurous with their holiday choices, travelling to exotic, far flung destinations and are no longer content to just sit on a beach for two weeks.'

'Adventure activities such as diving and trekking are growing in popularity and we are finding it is not just young travellers who want to take these types of holidays.'